


A Horse and his Man

by SleepyK1ttyCat



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Animal's POV, Horses, POV Original Character, because nobody tries to see things from the horses pov, some worldbuilding here and there, will add more to summary as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26056693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyK1ttyCat/pseuds/SleepyK1ttyCat
Summary: A tale of friendship and loyalty told through the eyes of a noble steed
Kudos: 7





	A Horse and his Man

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting a story onto here so I'm still figuring it out.  
> Decided to write this a year ago when I couldn't find anything new that stood out to me

It has been three days. Three days since I’ve been shut in my stall, three days since the storm began to come through, and three days since I’ve seen My Owner, Jake.

I miss Jake. He is a good Owner and a good man. I am proud to be his work horse on the Adler Ranch along with his wife, Sadie. On the ranch, I help with the cattle and carry My Owner and his wife upon my back when it is time to go to town or hunt for their dinner. Even though I’ve only been with them since last autumn, my relationship with Jake is good, I will do any task he asks of me till the day I die. That’s what ranch horses do. Hearing their rewarding praise after a hard day’s work always makes me happy. 

But I have not seen either of them in three days. The only people I have seen are the strange men who came by three days ago. I do not know who they are; I don’t think they are friends of My Owners. They put fresh hay in my stall and make sure I have enough water but that is all they do. They do not talk to me; they do not groom or exercise me, nor do they tend to my stall. I do not think they are here to purchase me; Jake would never sell me to these men, not when they have no other horse to assist with ranch work this late in the spring, and especially not after everything I’ve done for him.

I stamp my foot in irritation when I hear music being played loudly through the storm’s howling wind. My circadian rhythm tells me that it’s very late into the night. Everyone should be asleep in bed. Something tells me that the storm might ease up early tomorrow morning, and when it does there will be a lot of work to do. Why are My Owners and these strangers being so noisy?  
The music is a melody I do not recognize. Its tune is fast and high-pitched and it makes me think of the time Jake chased a headless chicken. The storm winds do a little help in muffling some of the sound but I can still hear it through the walls of my barn. I do not know how long it has been when I finally hear the music stop, sleep starts to creep upon me when I hear someone shouting outside.

“Hello there, gentlemen.”

The voice is deep and low, it carries a sense of authority. But that isn’t Jake’s voice, I know his voice. I hear shouting from the strange men.

“Whatchya want?”

The deep voiced speaker apologizes, “I’m sorry to disturb you all. Uh, my friends and I, well we got into, some…trouble up the way. Lost in the storm”

Lost in the storm how dreadful, surely Jake will do something and provide hospitality.

One of the strange men, one whose voice I recognize, returns that he will not help this newcomer or his lost friends. I do not like that man. Like most of the men he always smells of gunpowder, blood, and every now and then I can smell Sadie on him along with the strong scent of her fear. I do not know what he and his companions are doing to make Sadie so fearful, I worry that they are Hurting her and I pray that Jake is not letting these men Hurt his wife. I never smell Jake on them for some reason. 

The howling wind grows louder and the conversation is starting to be drowned out. I don’t like this, I don’t like being kept in the dark and I don’t like the fact that My Owners are doing nothing to help this man. Something tells me to wake up and put all thoughts of sleep aside, I need to stay alert.

My attempts to eavesdrop any further are cut off by the sound of a gunshot! A single gunshot can either mean two things; it can mean that a predator had been spotted on the premises and was eliminated, or it can mean something very bad has happened. I do not think it was a wolf that was shot, for gunfire is now being traded back and forth and I hear shouting from more than just one person. I believe a gunfight has just erupted, oh how dreadful! What is happening!? Where are Jake and Sadie!?

The gunfire stops as quickly as it began and now all I hear is the sound of the wind and my pounding heart. I am now in high alert, my ears swiveling back and front for the tiniest sound. I am in danger and I must defend myself in any way I can. We horses are prey animals; and there are many things in this world that will try to kill us. Before man came along, my kind has survived for millennia by relying on our senses and each other, when all else fails we do what we do best: we run. And if we cannot run, we will protect ourselves with tooth and hoof.

I snap my head in the direction of the barn door, someone is coming inside, and I hope it’s Jake. A man (not Jake) hurries himself inside and rolls the door shut. I know this one, along with the scent of Sadie’s fear he always reeks of sweat and musk, his hair is always greasy and messy, I call him Wet Dog.

Wet Dog turns around and I see that his eyes are wide with shock and he now reeks of fear. He glances at me before grabbing my tack and takes quick rushed strides towards me. I can tell from his body language that we are in danger and there is no time to fool around. I do not pull any tricks when Wet Dog tightens my saddle and girth and I do not resist when he offers me the bit. I do not care if I’m being stolen right now; I need to get somewhere safe.

I am about to be led out from my stall when we hear the barn door creak again. Someone is coming inside! Wet Dog snaps his head toward our only exit, eyes wide with fear. He hisses at me to stay quiet and climbs up into the hayloft to hide. The door slides wide open to reveal a tall man dressed in a blue wool coat. He stands tall, possibly 18 hands and sharp blue eyes alert for danger. He briefly looks in my direction and slowly walks inside. He doesn’t see Wet Dog hiding in the hayloft, he leaps down and pins the Blue Man to the ground, screaming something about killing one of his kin.

The two men break apart and then begin to trade blows with each other, shouting profanities about who attacked who first.

“What’s going on?”

Another man, close to maybe 18 hands or less, dressed in a black wool coat approaches the barn entry. He carries himself with an air of authority and his low voice seems to resonate with one who carries a high social status, this Man in Blue must belong to a gang. And that man must be his Boss.

“This guy just jumped me” the Man snaps before landing another blow to Wet Dog’s face.

“Oh, did he now?” The Boss chuckles as the beating continues 

Wet Dog is thrown to the ground and grabbed by the collar of his jacket. Ah, I see now. These are Bad People, the kind of people that my Jake and his Sadie disapprove of and despise. Bad People are people who do not care for the safety of a strong herd, they do not treat their fellow man with equality (especially the ones with darker skin for some odd reason), and they do not care if they hurt others with their actions whether it be man or animal. Even though I am aware of these “gangs” my dam once told me about, I still do not understand much about the social behaviors of Man, but I do know enough to see that these newcomers are not friends of Wet Dog’s or My Owners.

“Sneaky little bastard, should I kill him?”

“No…Not yet, find out what they’re doing here and where Colm is.”

“Oh this sonofabitch will talk,” the Man growls, smashing his fist into Wet Dogs’ face again “Where’s Colm O’Driscoll?”

“With the others, at an old mining camp southwest of here, near the lake” Wet Dog shakenly tells him

The air is now getting thick with tension; I’m starting to get nervous, I fear these men are here to do more than rob the Adler’s. I paw the ground anxiously; I need to get out of here. I could easily kick my way out of this stall but then what? The Boss Man is blocking my only exit, and I can’t go into full gallop that quickly so I don’t think I’ll be able to knock him down.  
Wet Dog is being beaten black and blue, cowering beneath the Blue Man and blabbering about a train.

“…Gonna blow the tracks. I don’t know more than that, I swear!”

The Boss laughs, “Well, I would say it looks like you have this, Arthur. Do what you want with him, I don’t care.” He saunters off calling over his shoulder, “Bring that horse when you’re done.”

Those words send a chill down my spine.

I can do nothing but watch in horror as Wet Dog begs for his life, struggling to pry the Blue Man’s hands away from his neck. He begins to struggle frantically before I hear a snap and then his body falls limp. That Man broke his neck! Sweet grass! He’s dead! These are dangerous men! They’re killers, and they’re going to kill me too! I half-rear in terror,

_“Go away!” _I scream, pawing the ground, showing that I will not hesitate to protect myself. The Blue Man picks up his things and walks closer to me, his body stiff and rigid, he’s plotting something; I scream louder and rear higher, striking out at the air before me, daring him to come closer.__

__The Man in Blue throws up his hands and shouts, “Woah!”_ _

__His voice is deep and commanding, but with a sense of something else, almost like Jake’s. It reassures me a little but I do not know this man and I am still wary, I make this clear with my ears, eyes, and body. _“Go away, you’re scaring me!” _____

____His posture relaxes and his hands lower to his sides. He approaches me, slower this time, voice still firm but softer, “Easy, you’re okay.” He repeats this several times, the urge for me to run is lessening._ _ _ _

____His actions calm me to a degree as he opens the door to my stall. He must have seen my name plate by the door for I hear him say it briefly between his words of calm reassurance. I let him approach me, I am calmer now, but my heart is still racing. He pats me on my shoulder, firm but gentle. The Blue Man is not intending to harm me…I think. He slips the reins down my neck and leads me from my barn._ _ _ _

_Please, take me to Jake, I want Jake_

____

______The blowing wind batters my face and flakes of snow stick to my eyelashes. I did not realize it was this bad from the inside. I hear his Boss call out to us “Is that bastard still in there?”_ _ _ _ _ _

__

______“He’s dealt with,”_ _ _ _ _ _

__

______The Boss seems happy with that answer “Good. That looks like a decent horse, you should keep him.”_ _ _ _ _ _

__

_______Keep me? Am I being sold? Did Jake intend for this to happen? I highly doubt it. Where is he? ____ _ _ _ _ _

__

________We get closer to the house and I see the outline of bodies littered around the outside of Jake and Sadie’s cabin slowly being blanketed by the blowing snow. Blue Man leads me to a post and hitches me next to a dappled mare, her back loaded with various materials from the house. On my other side is a light gray Arabian gelding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

________The sound of breaking glass from inside draws all our attention and I hear Sadie shrieking at someone else inside to stay away and get out. I have never heard her scream like that, never._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

________“Micah, what the hell are you doing!?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

________My new human acquaintance leaves me and rushes inside, her shrieking gets louder, I hear things being thrown. A chill runs through my body, someone is Hurting Sadie. I don’t want to listen, but I have to know what is happening. The screaming has stopped but I am still worried, I fix my eyes on the door and strain my ears to listen. It’s hard to hear with the wind so loud.  
A new stranger exits through the door followed by Sadie, The Boss and the Blue Man on either side of her. She is dressed in her sleep wear, her voice is shaky. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

________"They came three days ago..." she sounds on the verge of tears. "And my husband, they..."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

________I do not hear the rest of what she tells the men. I notice a fire beginning to form around the cabin. We need to leave _now!_ _ _ _ _ _ ___

__

__________The men assist Sadie onto the back of the Arabian and then it hits me._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__

_Sadie...those strangers, they Hurt you. Why? Why did this happen? What's happened to Jake? Where is Jake?_

____

__

____

____________The Man in Blue mounts onto my saddle and ushers me away. As we ride away leaving the house to burn I glimpse something out of the corner of my eye. In a wagon lies the body of a man. Wearing a tan coat and dark hair, strong arms and firm hands, hands that once stroked and cared for me so dearly. It is my Jake; his skin is pale and gray, body stiff from cold and decay. My worst fears have been confirmed. I am neither being stolen nor sold, I am being rehomed. I feel like I’ve just been hit with a bolt gun._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

__

____

____________My Owner is dead. My home is burning to ash._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

__

____

____________I now belong to The Man in Blue._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____

__

____

**Author's Note:**

> (A/N) Hands are a unit of measurement for measuring a horses height. One hand equals at least 4 inches (or 10cm)  
> A dam is a term used to refer to the mother of an animal or offspring


End file.
